Tips to simplify designs
Manufacturing is a critical aspect of any business, and selecting the right platform can make all the difference. Two of the platforms in the industry are Jiga and Xometry. While they offer some similar capabilities, there are some significant differences that can impact your business.
If you are looking for a Xometry alternative, we’ve prepared a full comparison. So let’s get started.
Jiga vs. Xometry: What’s the difference?
The biggest difference between Jiga and Xometry is in their operating model.
While you can only communicate with Xometry’s employees, with Jiga you can communicate directly with the suppliers too through the platform.
This removes the communication barriers between parties and the “black box” situation, where customers can’t talk to the person who makes their parts.
It makes Jiga a more attractive option when it comes to sourcing complex assemblies and large scale production work, since it enables higher trust and understanding between parties as well as optimal costs.
On the other hand, Xometry has a larger network with more capabilities and geographic coverage, as well as automated quoting and DFM capabilities. It makes Xometry more attractive when needing quick turn prototypes or geographical proximity.
Pros
✅ Jiga’s platform presents direct interaction with with manufacturing partners, delivering higher-trust relationships and higher quality by fostering transparency and mutual understanding, making it a great solution for long term production.
✅ Jiga has a very robust and collaborative platform that enables effective internal and external collaboration with powerful data tracking features.
✅ Jiga’s partner network is smaller and more vetted, known as leading to greater engagement and higher quality from partners.
Cons
❌ Jiga doesn’t aim to be the fastest service, so their lead-times can sometimes be less competitive than other services.
❌ Jiga doesn’t provide an instant quoting engine which can be viewed as a weakness for quick turn, rapid prototype parts.
❌ Jiga’s network of partner suppliers is smaller, therefore seen as more limited.
Here’s a quick comparison of the primary differences between Jiga and Xometry:
Capabilities
Xometry offers a wide range of capabilities, materials and finishes. Their network consists of thousands of manufacturers around the world, and it results in a wide variety of options. Jiga’s network is smaller – which doesn’t allow it to support many specific niche requirements.
Jerry S.
Mechanical Engineer
"The holy grail of good speed, quality, and price for custom parts"
Jiga is the best way to get the parts you need, when you need them.
Product Features
Both platforms allow you to upload parts, get quotes and order them, then track the order statuses while guaranteeing quality delivery. But the differences between the software features are substantial.
Xometry provides instant quoting and automated DFM analysis, which Jiga does not provide to its customers. This makes Xometry an attractive option when sourcing simple R&D parts and estimating costs for different projects, or using it as a tool to understand manufacturability issues and compare different alternatives.
Jiga has a very robust set of features for collaboration, data management and visibility.
Some of them include:
✅ Detailed quote comparisons
✅ Custom roles and permissions
✅ Custom columns
✅ Production contracts setup
✅ Revision tracking
✅ Zip file drag and drop
✅ 3D collaboration
✅ Supplier ratings
✅ Parts library
✅ Communication management
If we had to summarize the key differences, Xometry’s product is more suitable for plugging specific CAD files and ordering them on the spot while seeing how changes affect pricing and manufacturability, while Jiga is more suitable for robust workflow management, communication and collaboration.
Get QuotesGet fast quotes for your RFQs, compare and pay in one place
CollaborateCommunicate directly with our manufacturing partners for DFM feedback and collaborate with your team
TrackTrack your quotes, orders, communication, contracts and parts in one place
Get QuotesGet fast quotes for your RFQs, compare and pay in one place
CollaborateCommunicate directly with our manufacturing partners for DFM feedback and collaborate with your team
TrackTrack your quotes, orders, communication, contracts and parts in one place
Here’s a more detailed comparison between product features:
Service & Support
Xometry is the sole entity that interacts with its customers. When in need for help, customers can only be in touch with a Xometry rep for any communication.
With Jiga, customers can communicate both with the partner that makes their parts and with the Jiga team, depending on the case, and sometimes together. Jiga’s support team becomes an active part of the conversation when needed, but does not block the comunication with the supplier.
Jiga’s approach is better for customers wanting to be able to talk with the people making their parts instead of going through a third party, where miscommunications and inefficiencies happen often. This is especially suitable when needing direct DFM discussions with the manufacturing partners and clarifying or validating certain issues, and this helps build trust substantially.
Xometry’s approach is better when you prefer not to talk to anyone or deal with multiple people and just have the platform simply ship parts. If your parts are simple and straightforward without any critical tolerances or special features it can be a better option.
Pricing
Both Jiga and Xometry can offer competitive pricing. It’s important to understand the different operating models and how each of them affect pricing:
Jiga‘s system analyzes the RFQs and sends them directly to a few selected suppliers who are most suitable for the job, letting them quote and compete for the business. It also allows to combine multiple quotes in certain cases to optimize for cost reduction. The suppliers can take future business into consideration, motivating them to reduce costs in order to get more business from certain customers.
Xometry, on the other hand, offers automated quotes based on the 3D models and specs, then sends them out to a job board until one of their partners takes the work – in a similar model to Uber. In case the algorithm can’t quote the project, Xometry quotes manually and sends the order to the job board.
While price can vary between projects, Jiga’s model tends to offer more competitive prices because of the following reasons:
- Lower operating costs, as it doesn’t have to maintain the same human resources for quoting and communication.
- Ability to combine multiple quotes to get optimal costs for a given project.
- Suppliers are incentivised to compete for the business and build long term relationships with customers, making them more willing to reduce costs to get higher volumes.
Quality & Reliability
As discussed in the pricing section above in more detail, Xometry and Jiga operate very differently. It affects quality and reliability too.
With Xometry, customers have mixed opinions on quality. The black-box model, that does not allow you to work directly with partners, affect the ability to get consistent results and resolve quality concerns with communication. Suppliers are less incentivised to provide high quality because they are aware that service and quality won’t necessarily win them more business with that specific customer. Suppliers also tend to complain about the profitability of jobs through Xometry, and tend to treat the work they get from Xometry as less important than the work they get from their strategic customers.
Jiga’s model usually results in better quality and reliability because Jiga’s partners are incentivised to provide a better service and quality. Jiga’s partners are likely to get additional business from customers who previously worked with them. They decide on their own prices and becuase Jiga operates a smaller network, they will treat work they get from Jiga as strategic: each Jiga partner tends get larger volumes of orders, affecting their commitment to high quality and reliable service.
Benjamin S
Mechanical Engineer
"I wish this existed years ago!"
Jiga is the best way to get the parts you need, when you need them.
Geographic Coverage
As previously discussed Xometry works with a large partner network, which naturally provides a wider geographic coverage. This is primarily helpful when needing a local solution, and can potentially help to save on shipping costs for very heavy parts if the Xometry partner is local.
Jiga operates a smaller network, and therefore has a smaller geographic coverage.
Conclusion: Is Jiga a good Xometry alternative?
In conclusion, choosing between Jiga and Xometry depends on your business’s specific needs and priorities. Both platforms offer a range of capabilities and features.
Jiga is a good choice for more complex, long term manufacturing needs because of its supplier visibility, direct communication, data analytics, and collaborative platform. Xometry operates a large global manufacturing network with a large amount of capabilities and materials, and works great for quick, simple R&D needs.
Ultimately, the goal is to find a reliable and efficient platform that can handle your manufacturing needs and help you achieve your business goals.
